It’s so frustrating to look in the mirror after having a baby. I get it. I know. I’ve been there. Twice! And many women have had even more babies. So, how come some of them look so great?
Well, part of it is being in shape and taking care of yourself. But for some mamas, it may not be as simple. That may leave you with an apron belly, technically known as a pannus stomach and often called a mummy tummy.
You may get an apron belly when belly fat surrounds those internal organs from weight gain or getting pregnant. It will leave you with extra fat around the flap under your abs. In case you wanted to know, it’s called the omentum, but it’s like an apron, hence why we call it the apron belly.
Apron belly may increase your risk for cancer and is associated with diabetes and heart disease. That’s why you may not just want to learn to live with it. You can lose weight through exercise and eating healthily. There’s no such thing as a spot treatment, so you’ll have to take a whole-body approach to shake that extra off.
But if that’s not helping, or you just want to be done with it and get your body back, you have surgical and non-surgical options for removing your apron belly.
Will CoolSculpting help with an apron belly?
By far, one of the best procedures is CoolSculpting for the apron belly. It uses cryolipolysis which freezes fat. In studies, it was found to reduce the fat layer by up to 25%. It’s non-surgical, so that may be appealing to you.
However, discussing this with your doctor to see if it’s appropriate for your needs is important. While CoolSculpting freezes and kills fat cells in your abdominal area, it doesn’t stop any remaining cells from growing. It doesn’t stop visceral fat underneath from expanding, so there will always be some remaining.
Additionally, CoolSculpting for hanging belly isn’t an option if you’re breastfeeding or have certain medical conditions. So, if this sounds like something you want to do, check it out and see. If so, remember that you will need to maintain good health to keep those results.
Your surgical option
You can have a panniculectomy if you’re ready to go under the knife. This is where they remove that pain-in-the-butt pannus. It’s different from a tummy tuck because it’s not tightening your abs. However, you can combine the procedures. And you’ll have to call and check first, but a panniculectomy may be covered by your insurance since it’s not always considered cosmetic.
Like the CoolSculpting, you will need to meet specific requirements to be eligible to have it performed, so make sure you talk to your doctor.
What is the cost of getting rid of an apron belly?
It could cost several hundreds of dollars for CoolSculpting up to over a thousand dollars. And for surgical procedures, you can expect that cost to be far more, about $5,000 at least. But all of this will depend on your location and which doctor you choose to perform the surgery.
Please, I beg you, if you go for surgery, research surgeons in your area. This is not the thing to be cheap about if you choose to do it. You can look up their records online and make sure you choose someone with a proven track record for successful surgeries.
Also, more goes into the price than you think. You may only need a simple skin procedure when evaluated by the doctor, or you could need much more than that like a tummy tuck being thrown in and skin removal, which would affect the cost.
Which is better, laser lipo or CoolSculpting for fat removal?
When it comes to laser lip vs. CoolSculpting, it helps to compare them to make your best decision. Both of these options are ideal for people that are close to the weight they want to be.
Laser liposuction uses a laser to remove the fat under the skin. You’ll need a local anesthetic, and the doctor will give you a small incision so the laser can get there. It takes roughly an hour per area to complete though your doctor can tell you more after evaluating you.
Laser liposuction may produce instant results, well, after swelling abates. It will take a few months for everything to become more visible. CoolSculpting takes longer for results to show up, about 3 weeks to really notice something, with about 2 to 3 months for the full effects to reveal.
Another thing to consider is that it may take several sessions to get the results you want with CoolSculpting. And because your body may still make fat cells, it’s tough to determine how many sessions you need. However, most people are satisfied with the results of both procedures. If you’re considering either one, find out more about where you can have them done in your area and see which is best for you.
Recovery requires rest with laser lipo, so you don’t strain the area, but CoolSculpting can allow you to resume most activities the same day. Even though these are both minimally invasive procedures, side effects are possible. Laser liposuction risks scarring from the incision though most people avoid this by resting. You may swell, feel pain, or bruise at the site of the incision. If anything seems problematic, you should contact your doctor immediately.
One positive side effect is that laser lipo may make your skin feel tighter. This is because it promotes collagen production. And that’s a good thing!
As for CoolSculpting, you may feel cold during the event and not like how it feels on your skin though it will become numb. Redness, swelling, bruising, aching, and skin sensitivity are all possible after this treatment. And for some, the fat cells may grow instead of shrink. While it’s not dangerous, you may need liposuction to get rid of those large cells.
Alternatives:
And if neither of these sounds like your thing, you can go for ultrasound treatments like UltraShape or light-based SculpSure. There’s also Cryoskin and Kybella. I recommend you speak with your doctor about removing your apron belly. We all have different bodies, and it’s essential to talk about this with someone who knows your health and any conditions you have so you’ll make the right choice for your health.
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
